Slowly but steadily growing, late bloomer Amy Beth Williams is of late fully flowered. There was always an intelligent, insightful interpreter there, but sometimes a reserve kept things so “in check.” Check her out now: character-creating shawl on shoulders, heart on sleeve, talent on display. Her Crazy to Love You is smart, tart cabaret thinking, feeling grown-ups. Using more voice and emotion than ever, confidence and serenity that illuminate everything she does, from wistful to wickedly funny. Director Tanya Moberly has pried her from her shell, brought up the energy several notable notches.

The always-lovely singing is now dynamic and varied.  “Never Try On His Name” easily evidences hard-won wisdom. Hypnotic laments prevail, like “I Cover the Waterfront,” but it’s a beautiful sadness, thoughtfully considered. She reaches us. Janis Ian’s “She Must Be Beautiful” is a devastating, elegance-coated heartbreaker, no mere pity party. Cheekily admiring Snow White’s seven in-house dwarves, she referred to the company of her own masterful on-stage guys: captivating accordion player Will Holhouser (“We’ll call him ‘Squeezy’”) and longtime Musical Director Daryl Kojak, involved and smiling from the keyboard (“We’ll call him ‘Tinkly.’”). Moody webs are spun; we’re honored to be caught. All in all, cabaret heaven.

Rob Lester
Cabaret Scenes
June 20, 2014
www.cabaretscenes.org